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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22651045">Just Hold Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/arthur_pendragon/pseuds/arthur_pendragon'>arthur_pendragon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Era, Humor, M/M, Mild Objectification of Arthur Pendragon as Portrayed by Bradley Tree-Trunk-Arms James, Pining Merlin (Merlin), Sexual Humor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 14:00:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,266</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22651045</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/arthur_pendragon/pseuds/arthur_pendragon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p></p><blockquote>
  <p>Now there’s a new source of frustration parading about topless in front of Merlin, and this one’s a man, and Merlin is so, so attracted to him.<br/>(Just his luck, of course, that Arthur would have a physique to suit a pagan god, but a personality better matched to a donkey.)</p>
</blockquote>In which Merlin is all of us.<hr/><p>Bradley James posted <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8PIMn7BUWL/">this image of himself</a> on Instagram.<br/>I am posting this in response.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>126</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>508</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Just Hold Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>dedicated to all the thirsty "hoes" (i say this with great affection) who thirsted with me when we all saw That Picture for the first time. keep thirsting</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s a sultry summer day when it happens.</p><p>Today is the so-and-so-year anniversary of Merlin’s employment as Arthur’s skivvy; Merlin’s planning to drink himself under the table in “celebration” once Arthur’s done yelling and throwing things at him for the day.</p><p>Perhaps he’ll have a nice cold jug of ale, all to himself. He’s saved up enough coins for one, and he deserves it, too, for putting up with Arthur for so long and risking his own life for the prat (labouring under no delusions that his future is separate from Arthur’s, if that blasted dragon’s prophecies are remotely true). Maybe he’ll beg some of Arthur’s favourite wine off the head cook, whose <s>daughter</s> child he apparently resembles. Or a flagon of mulled mead? Merlin’s not really picky, he’ll down anything as long as it gets him three sheets to the w—</p><p>“Ow!”</p><p>Arthur persists with the cheek pinch for a second more, unrepentantly says, “You should’ve been paying attention, then,” and stalks off back towards his knights without a swig from the skin in Merlin’s hands — or even a swipe across his forehead with the cloth round said forlorn little dogsbody’s neck. So he only really came over to maim Merlin for the crime of not paying attention to men swatting at each other. Merlin rubs at his face, grimacing. It’s a hot, hot afternoon, and Merlin’s not allowed to drink from Arthur’s waterskin (which means he’s been sneaking sips all day). Morgana and Gwen are inside, benefiting from the insulating capacities of the stone walls and floors of the castle, so no luck there. What other entertainment is Merlin supposed to derive from his forced vigil outdoors?</p><p>Of course, this is when Arthur decides to provide an ample supply of the same, and takes off his tunic.</p>
<hr/><p>As is to be expected of the prince, he does it very showily, all slow and smooth, as if there’s an audience of swooning maidens fanning themselves hidden just round the corner.</p><p>Time slows down as he does it; for Merlin, anyway, who’d suspect his own magic if he weren’t watching the scene, gobsmacked. There is no sound to be heard anywhere. Not a single avian chirp or knightly grunt.</p><p>It’s an undeniably sexy move, Arthur reaching for the hem of his shirt with one hand and pulling it up, up, off; shaking his head to settle his hair and picking up his sword whilst dropping the shirt.</p><p>What’s all that bloody glistening about? Is that sweat or oil? Merlin squints. Probably sweat, but if not, who the <em>fuck</em> oiled him up like that, and where was Merlin during all of it? Merlin’s clearly been bereft of the very many pleasures of seeing his prince naked every morning, a luckless (in hindsight, but very suspiciously coincidental at the time) concurrence of Merlin’s tardiness and Arthur’s zest for seizing the day and giving it a good thrashing.</p><p>Oh God, look at that man.</p><p>Merlin’s fancies have, all three of them, been women up until now; they were peasants like him, farmer’s daughters who giggled and gossiped and did themselves no favours by lazing about the village. There’d been a brief dalliance with Will; all right, not-so-brief a dalliance, but in Merlin’s defence, none of the girls would go for a beanpole with overlarge ears and a face that, in Will’s words, was “longer than his pisser”. No one would have William either (Merlin gloated for <em>days</em>), so they discovered the glory of orgasms courtesy of each other’s hands. But that hadn’t been about attraction, yeah? That had been a letting-off of pent-up energies.</p><p>Now there’s a new source of frustration parading about topless in front of Merlin, and this one’s a man, and Merlin is so, <em>so</em> attracted to him.</p><p>(Just his luck, of course, that Arthur would have a physique to suit a pagan god, but a personality better matched to a donkey.)</p><p>The audacity of Arthur Pendragon to — to be stunning! The nerve of him, baring those muscles as though sculptors and Merlins all over Camelot were hungering to fashion his form from marble, or hungering for him in general —</p><p>“Ouch!”</p><p>“How vivid <em>are</em> your daydreams, Merlin?” says Arthur, pulling at Merlin’s ear this time.</p><p>“Boredom is excellent fuel, sire,” retorts Merlin, hastily covering up a certain problem in his breeches with the waterskin, trying not to solve the oil-or-sweat conundrum coming to sit beside him.</p><p>“Training’s gone well, don’t you think? Sir Reginald’s crying, that’s always a good sign.”</p><p>“I just told you I wasn’t paying attention to the stick-swinging.”</p><p>That earns Merlin a punitive smack from the annoyingly sexy half-naked bastard. “Why not?”</p><p>“Why not not?”</p><p>“You had your eyes on me the entire time, Merlin, don’t think I didn’t notice.” Merlin, desperately observing the off-putting sight of Sir Reginald now retching into his helmet, doesn’t notice Arthur reaching for the waterskin. But his eyes do drop to the arm snatching his protective shield from him when it happens.</p><p>Oh.</p><p>Oh, holy fuck. Those <em>fingers</em>. The veins running up his hands, blue and green and stark against his golden-haired skin; the bulging of his thick upper arms — definitely sweat, oh glorious sweat that Merlin longs to taste on his tongue — where was he when Arthur was moulding them into tree trunks? Where has Merlin’s head been all this time if he didn’t notice Arthur swelling up into this — this <em>hunk</em> of a deity during their acquaintanceship?</p><p>Arthur takes a drink from the waterskin. Merlin’s mouth goes dry.</p><p>He would… he’d be able to lift Merlin up <em>easy</em>. Merlin’s not light — he’s got the weight of the world on his shoulders, after all — but Arthur would hoist him up in a matter of seconds; would, if so inclined, carry him to bed, throw him onto his luxurious royals-only mattress. He’d be able to keep Merlin pinned down with those arms as they kissed, soft and amazed and passionate and frenetic in turns. Arthur’s ample, muscly chest would press against Merlin’s, and so would his thighs against Merlin’s, and his cock against —</p><p>Merlin comes in his pants.</p><p>It’s very obvious, especially to someone sitting right next to him.</p>
<hr/><p>Merlin knows he fainted out of embarrassment, most likely. If not that, then the heat. Definitely the heat. So much heat. From the sun and the royal prick whose appealing arms he’s ensconced in at the moment. All the knights are gone, thankfully; Merlin won’t have to see their faces again until tomorrow, by which time he’ll probably have spontaneously combusted from the shame and will thus be spared further humiliation.</p><p>“Good afternoon,” says the royal prick. “You could’ve just told me that upon seeing my glorious naked body you began to desire me as man desires water.”</p><p>“I’m not thirsty for you,” mutters Merlin, lies now his only weapon against Arthur. He glances up at the prince, who’s smiling like the prick he is. “You smell.”</p><p>The smile vanishes. “D’you really think so?”</p><p>“Not in the slightest.” Merlin is now miserable and also very aroused. “Please leave me alone to perish in peace.”</p><p>Arthur does not give this statement the monumental consideration it deserves. “No. Now get up so I can take you to my room and make you do it again.”</p><p>“My breeches are <em>soiled</em>,” wails Merlin. “<em>You</em> get up.”</p><p>“No one can see the stain, Merlin, and no one’ll be looking —”</p><p>“Hang on, did you say <em>make you do it again</em>?”</p><p>“Yes, I —”</p><p>“Find me in your room,” says Merlin, rising to his feet and promptly rushing into the castle, followed by Arthur’s mock-outraged laughter.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>if you laughed you need to tell me. i make the rules here</p><p>no but really i welcome your thoughts</p></blockquote></div></div>
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